The Minister of Finance Gabino Bugallal in 1915, faced with the situation of ruin of the Godoy Palace, proposed to the King Alfonso XIII the construction of a new headquarters for the Ministry of the Navy. The architects receive the order for the construction Francisco Javier Luque y Joseph Espelius. It is located on Montalbán Street, number 2, corner with Paseo del Prado, very close to the Palace of Cibeles. They designed an eclectic style building with a rectangular floor plan and two interior patios that was inaugurated on July 16, 1928.
It presents a tower that unifies the façade and combines classical and Gothic elements as was common in this type of buildings in the first quarter of the 20th century. The facades are decorated with a combination of naval elements, shields from the ancient kingdoms of Spain and the maritime provinces, ships and plant elements.
But the most impressive element of the entire work is the monumental staircase, Empire style, made of Carrara marble in beige and brown tones. On the first section there is a high-relief frieze with a classic scene that comes from the Godoy Palace, former headquarters of the Ministry of the Navy.
Both the central opening of the building and the two interior patios (which are currently occupied by two exhibition rooms of the Naval Museum) are covered by stained glass windows. Maumejean. In the white windows with emerald green fretwork, Neptune appears along with seahorses and a couple of mermaids. Between each of these figures and separating both are the shields of the ancient kingdoms of Spain: Aragon, Navarra, Castilla and León.

The Naval Museum is not usually a frequent visit by people who visit Madrid. However, its variety and the value of the pieces it houses are surprising. For me without a doubt, the most valuable thing is the World Map by Juan de la Cosa, the first representation of America that is preserved, but it also houses ceramics, utensils and cannons rescued from the Spanish galleon San Diego sunk in the Philippines in the 17th century, astronomical, scientific and navigation instruments, ship models and arsenal models, cartography , plastic and decorative arts, weapons and flags, uniforms and decorations, sailors' equipment, ethnographic pieces and personal objects of illustrious sailors, jewelry that tells us about our history.

A abrazo.